


The Lightning Thief: Percy's First Quest

by Rebldomakr



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark Themes & More Violence Than Canon, M/M, Other, Tags updated as story progresses, Violence, friendships, trained-as-a-soldier!Percy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 07:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14732978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebldomakr/pseuds/Rebldomakr
Summary: Believing mother to be dead, Percy ran away. He was found by an elderly son of Ares, who decided to take the boy in.A few years later, Percy is taken to Camp Halfblood.





	The Lightning Thief: Percy's First Quest

**Author's Note:**

> unbetaed

_Marcus was not happy with Percy. The man was delicately wrapping bandages soaked in an healing potion around the young boy’s stomach, which had just been stitched shut and cleaned. Blood stained both of them, as well as the bed Percy was sitting up in. “You will not be a man until you do better than your teacher.” Marcus spat, voice and eyes filled with anger and disappointment. “I could defeat a monster with steel when I was eight. You’re seven now.”_

_“I’m sorry, sir.” Percy apologized. He was drenched in sweat because Marcus refused him anything to relieve the pain, except for a shot of strong whiskey. It wasn’t helping very much._

_“You should be dead, boy. It is my own weakness that I didn’t allow the Minotaur to finish you off.” Marcus said. He finished the wrapping and gently lays Percy onto his back. “Don’t think I’ll always be there to keep you alive.”_

_Percy nodded. He knew he had failed. He had only just barely managed to blind the Minotaur. If it had not been for his teacher stepping him and scaring the beast off, he would have been killed._

_“In a week, we will resume your training. Hopefully after another year, you will be able to defeat a great beast.” Marcus said._

_“A week? I won’t be healed a week.” Percy said., as though he didn’t know better than to question Marcus’ decisions._

_“A warrior must learn to fight through pain and injury.” Marcus said. “Be happy I’m giving you a week, boy.”_

* * *

 

The Compound was mostly underground, except only for its second archery range which was rarely used and the lodge that acted as a beacon for stupider, weaker beasts. The main archery range and armory sat in the deepest floor, where also the arena’s floor rested and stretched upward to the second floor. The library, sleeping quarters, and dining hall filled up the second floor which wasn’t occupied with bleachers. The top floor, the first, was almost entirely empty except for a tiny maze meant to occupy any intruders. The Compound, altogether, could fit almost four hundred demigods in all their might. Once upon a time, it had. That was before the Second World War.

By the time Percy arrived, the Compound was empty except for Marcus. Many of the dormitories still contained the possessions of long-gone soldiers who never realized they weren’t going to come back home. They were demigods who gave their lives in the war between the children of the Big Three. Those that had survived attempted to protect the children of Hades in which they were allied, before they were picked off for trying to fulfill their duty. Marcus and a few others had survived, but after decades of life he was the only one left. He inherited the Compound, then, but he was old. It was Percy, upon his arrival, who finally utilized the Compound once again.

Unlike the Compound, Camp Halfblood was not filled with eerie dorms and empty halls. It was bustling with activity and life. The strawberry fields were blooming with the aid of satyrs and demigods, campers lounged outside of their cabins, and activity was spread evenly from their stables over to the lake to even the basketball courts surrounded by statues and fountains. Percy was amazed by the number of campers, too, so used to the abandoned-feel at the Compound.

 Chiron, the centaur leader of Camp Halfblood, offered Marcus a room in the Big House. His teacher denied the offer. “I wish to die like a warrior, Chiron.” Marcus said.

“You’re a demigod, Marcus. You’re a hero.” Chiron said. “More than you are a warrior.”

Marcus, dressed in his white toga and wrinkled with tens of years of life experience, waved his hand dismissively at the centaur. “I am a son of Ares. I am a warrior more than I am a hero.” He said. He looked at Percy and gestured him closer.

His teacher placed a hand on his shoulder. “I would like for you to see if Percy could stay with my brothers and sisters. He is my son, in all but blood.”

“Yes, not by blood.” Chiron said. “If Ares doesn’t accept him there, then there’s nothing I can do. I am sorry.”

Percy nibbled on his bottom lip, waiting for his teacher to glare and make his disapproval very obvious, but Marcus only sighed.

“Perhaps, then, my room in the Big House?” He asked. “I know the Hermes Cabin is beyond full.”

Chiron sighed. He scratched his cheek. “I am sorry, Marcus.” He said again.

Marcus sighed again. “Percy,” He looked down the boy. “Be nice to your fellow campers. You will be better than them in many ways.”

“Fight fair in practice, but truly in battle.” Percy recited, as he had many times before.

“Good boy.” Marcus nodded. “I will be taking my leave, now.” He removed his hand from Percy’s shoulder. “Goodbye Chiron, Percy.” He nodded his heads towards the centaur, barely glanced towards the boy, and walked towards where they had entered camp together.

Chiron walked in front of Percy’s view of his vanishing teacher. “Let’s give you a tour, eh?” The man grinned.

Percy realized very quickly how much bigger Camp Halfblood was to the compound. Excluding the huge fields left unused, there was an arena, armory, amphitheatre, volleyball courts, and a climbing wall that spat out lava. Chiron explained that there were lessons like archery or swordsmanship he could sign up for, as well as arts and crafts and even just helping to tend to the strawberry fields.

“Everything is optional, but it is recommended that you do something to fill your time.” Chiron said. “Perhaps, with time and seniority, you’ll be given the responsibility to teach lessons to younger campers.”

Chiron brought his tour to an end by finally taking him into the field that contained the cabins. He introduced each cabin by number, though Percy thought it was obvious what god certain cabins belonged to.

Percy was led to a cabin that looked more like an actual cabin than the rest. Chiron didn’t go inside, the door was too low, but the door was open and the campers inside saw him. They all bowed respectfully at him. Percy wondered if Chiron had defeated something powerful to deserve their respect, or if they respected him because he their teacher – or if it was both.

A boy who looked older than the rest of the cabin, with a thick white scar that ran beneath his eye down to his jaw, came forward. “Chiron, who is this?” He asked.

“An unclaimed camper.” Chiron said. The entire cabin, except for the older boy, groaned as they resumed to what they were doing before.

“Welcome to Cabin Eleven.” The boy said. “I’m Luke.”

“I’m Percy.” He said.

Chiron smiled. “Percy here was trained by an older demigod before coming here, so he should be familiar with more than most newcomers, but don’t be scared to explain everything to him.” He said.

“I can take his introduction from here.” Luke offered.

“Thank you.” Chiron nodded. “Percy, I shall see you tonight at the mess.” He galloped away.

Luke gestured Percy to enter the cabin. “Come on, I’ll assign you a spot.”

Percy was given a small area on the floor near the corner of the cabin. He fingered the straps on his backpack and wondered how long it might be before he was claimed. “My teacher never told me how long it would be until I’ll be claimed.” He said.

“Some campers are never claimed.” Luke admitted. “The gods are busy. That’s okay! You’ll have a spot here, always. When bunks free up, you get to fight for it or just wait until seniority pays off.”

Percy nodded. “Alright.” He said. He dropped his backpack down to the floor.

“So, who was your teacher? Or who was their godly parent?” Luke asked, conversational and curious. He plopped himself down on the ground while he watched Percy begin to unpack. “Do you have anything to sleep on?”

“My teacher was Marcus, son of Ares.” Percy said, unzipping his backpack. “He said he hasn’t been in Camp Halfblood since before the Big Three made their pact, though.”

Luke whistled. “Old, then?”

Percy nodded. He pulled out his sleeping bag and unrolled it, spreading it out as much as he could in his small spot. He pulled out his deflated pillow pulled it out, causing it to suddenly fill. He placed it at the head of his sleeping bag.

“Definitely have something nice to sleep on.” Luke said.

“I’ll switch you.” Percy offered.

“Ha! Nice try.” Luke laughed. “Maybe you’re a son of Hermes, like me.” He winked.

“My teacher thinks I am a son of a minor water god.” Percy said. “So I’ll probably end up staying here even after I’m claimed.”

Luke shrugged. “Nothing wrong with that. A god is a god, Percy.” He said. “Is that all you have?” He nodded at Percy’s sleeping bag.

Percy shook his head. “I don’t know where to put everything else.” He admitted.

“I have a trunk if you ever want to store anything with me. No one steals from me unless they want trouble.” Luke said.

“Thank you.” Percy smiled. He zipped his backpack shut. “But, no thank you.” He paused, before sitting down, too. “Are you a son of Hermes?”

“Yeah.” Luke pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and began to pick dirt off of the sole of his sandals.

Percy watched quietly, before he got the urge to ask another question. “Is it true campers aren’t allowed on quests anymore?”

“Chiron’s paranoid.” Luke said. “I messed things up for everybody else, for the past two summers. I took a trip to the Garden of Hesperides and it went sour, so Chiron hasn’t let anyone out on quests since.” He explained.

“I failed my first battle.” Percy admitted. “My teacher me to find the Minotaur and to defeat it in battle, but I lost.” He placed his hand on his stomach. “One of its horns caught me.”

“Your teacher had you fight the Minotaur?” Luke asked, skeptic. “Why?”

“I needed to prove my worth as a warrior.” Percy explained. “I was already seven and I hadn’t fought anything. I wasn’t very good, though. I couldn’t defeat it until I was nine.”

“Wow.” Luke said, blinking.

Percy nodded. “I know. I should’ve done better. I’m a slow learner.” He said, sighing.

“I wouldn’t call defeating the Minotaur at nine being a slow learner.” Luke said, shaking his head. “You sure your teacher wasn’t a god?”

“Nope.” Percy said. “Just a demigod.” He pulled his backpack close to him and pulled a knife out of its side pocket. He removed it from its sheath and held it out towards Luke. “My teacher took the horn I got from the Minotaur and put it into the handle.”

“This knife can’t kill monsters.” Luke said, taking the knife delicately. He rubbed his fingers over the handle.

“My teacher said you aren’t worth a proper dinner unless you can defeat a monster with a mortal weapon.” Percy said.

Luke handed the knife back to Percy. “Your teacher sounds intense. You said he was a son of Ares?” He asked. Percy nodded. “I’m not surprised.” He said.

Percy slid the knife back into its sheath and placed it back into his backpack.

 “You any good with a sword?” Luke asked.

“I’m mediocre.” Percy said.

Luke didn’t look like he believed him. “You’re going to be a good asset for capture the flag, you know.” He said. He reached forward and clapped Percy on the shoulder. “Glad to have you, kid.”

Percy’s stomach clenched at the touch. “Thank you.” He said, suddenly feeling awkward.

The older camper smiled even wider.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not entirely certain if I'll finish this. I'll have to see the general response to it, first. The tags refer mostly to the general substance of the fic if it's continued so, sorry, not a whole lot of Annabeth and Grover - yet.


End file.
